The Future of the US National Team

I came across an interesting feature in the Guardian this morning about the future of the US National Team. Of course, Bruce Arena's side expected to be in Russia. So, now as they gather for a training camp ahead of two friendlies (against Bolivia on Monday and against Ireland on Saturday and then finally against France next week), the question is how to bounce back from its disastrous 2018 World Cup qualification campaign. My feeling is that, as the graphic above represents, to much hope (and pressure) is being heaped on the 19 year old shoulders of Christian Pulisic, who is rumored to be making a move to the Premiership this week.

You can read the full story here: https://www.theguardian.com/football/2018/may/28/usa-world-cup-2018-friendly-bolivia-soccer

Congratulations, Red Devil!

Congratulations to Red Devil 1FCK for his come-from-behind win in this year's Premiership Plus Predictions Game. The 10 points that he won for correctly predicting a Chelsea win over Arsenal in last weekend's FA Cup Final and a Real Madrid win in yesterday's Champions League Final put over the top in the final run-in, just edging out MOT the Hoople. Red Devil will be the custodian of the LOB Shield in his new manse on Long Island and the defending champion in next season's PPP Game.

Here are the final standings:

1. Red Devil 1FCK - 38 pts
2. MOT the Hoople - 36 pts
3. Gooner71 - 35 pts
-  What's Up Wheaton Simon - 35 pts
5. Man Utd Rules - 32 pts
6. The Saint - 29 pts
-  Swansong - 29 pts
8. Red Dragon - 27 pts
-  United We Stand - 27 pts
10. Someone Said - 24 pts
-  West Ham Rising - 24 pts
12. Blue Devil - 18 pts
13. Yellows - 14 pts

THE EUROPEAN CUP FINAL!!

So it is the end of the Club season today. I do like that they have changed this match to a Saturday instead of a Wednesday match. Two heavyweights of European history take on each other on in Kiev of all places! A repeat of the 1981 European Cup Final where Alan Kennedy scored the only goal of the game to keep England's streak of European Cup wins rolling along. Liverpool won it in 1997 and '78. Forest won it in 1979 and '80. Liverpool won it in 1981 and Villa won it in 1982. Back in those days, I was in the English corner for all of them(including Leeds in '75). These days, do I really want Liverpool to win their sixth European Cup? Do I want Real Madrid to win their third in a row? They were the second best team against Juve and Bayern and still got thru! Both of these teams couldn't finish in the top two of their domestic leagues. A Cup win will make up for that.
Let's hope for goals

Join me

UWS

England's Friendly Schedule

At this time of the year, those of us who look forward to pulling up a comfy chair in front of the telly on a Saturday morning full of footie action go into steep withdrawal period. We have to grasp at those few opportunities to watch the good stuff (or the MLS!). Fortunately (phew!) it's a World Cup summer and there are warm-up matches on the way. England's schedule for upcoming friendlies includes a match against Nigeria on Saturday, June 2 and a match against Costa Rica on Thursday, June 7. Those are obvious stand-ins for England's first two opponents in the group stage, Tunisia and Panama. It'll also give us a chance to see how Gareth Southgate intends to set up the side. Can't wait!

Premiership Plus Predictions Game - FA Cup Update

Hiya, chaps! I'd ask you if you enjoyed the Cup Final this weekend, but I know better. In any case, I'm here on Monday for once because I know that you'll be anxious to see how that Chelski win leaves matters. In the end, only two players added points. Man Utd Rules ironically picked Chelski to win and thus picked up 8 points and vaulted up to third spot. Red Devil hit the jackpot, plumping for both Chelski to win and United to lose on Saturday. He leaps up 10 points from 22 to 32.

That leaves us with just the Championship playoff final between Fulham and Villa and the Champions League Final, both on Saturday. Interestingly, both MOT the Hoople and MUR have chosen both Villa and Fulham for promotion, so I've deducted 3 points ahead of time, as only one team can win now.

All of that means that it's really down to MOT or Red Devil 1FCK. Red Devil will win the Shield with a Real Madrid win, whereas MOT will be hoping for a Liverpool win next Saturday.

Here are the penultimate standings:

1. MOT the Hoople - 36 points
2. Man Utd Rules - 32 pts
-  Red Devil 1FCK - 32 its
-  Swansong - 32 pts
5. Gooner71 - 29 pts
-  What's Up Wheaton Simon - 27 pts
7. Someone Said - 27 pts
8. The Saint - 26 pts
9. West Ham Rising - 24 pts
10. Red Dragon - 21 pts
-  United We Stand - 21 pts
12. Blue Devil - 18 pts
13. Yellows - 17 pts

IT'S FA CUP FINAL DAY!!!!

It's FA Cup Final day!!!! It was always my favorite day of the year! Coverage starting on TV at 9:30 in the morning on both BBC and ITV. What great memories! It's a Knockout, hotels, on the bus with the teams, players on the pitch, Road to Wembley and then the match!
Of course, things aren't the same in modern day football. It is no longer the biggest match of the year. It is no longer has the luster it used to have.... AND I HATE IT!! No longer is the kick off at 3 o'clock. No longer does the build up start early in the morning. No longer do both channels cover the match.
Even the Royals don't keep the day sacred!!!

Alas, we are in 2018 and my beloved have made the final again!! I am still excited. I still want to watch all of it. I will be watching the build up on the BBC on the computer which starts a couple of hours before kick off.(Fox starts at Noon for a 12:15 kick off)

Join me

UWS

COME ON MAN U
COME ON MAN U
COME ON MAN U

Premiership Plus Predictions Game - Week 38 Update

Phew! It's been a big, big week in footie, that's for sure. So, I've been waiting with baited breath to post the latest update of our PPP game. The Premiership wrapped up on Sunday morning, confirming that City, United, Spurs and Liverpool would be the four Champions League entrants, while Chelsea and Arsenal will be consigned to the Europa League once again. Swansea were relegated, as Southhampton continued their improbably late season rescue act. And Mo Salah claimed the Golden Boot in his astonishing debut season with the Reds, smashing the previous scoring record with a 32-goal haul. Thank goodness England have Tunisia and not Egypt in the group stage!

That was followed by the second leg of the Championship playoffs, which produced a Wembley playoff final featuring Fulham and Aston Villa. That meant that several of us who had plumped for either Boro or Derby lost a few points.

Finally, the Europa League Final yesterday was a one-sided affair with Atletico coming up trumps with a 3-0 win over the unfancied Salzburg to claim the trophy once again. None of us picked Atletico somehow, so those four points go unclaimed.

All of that means that, with only the FA Cup and Champions League Final on the last two Saturdays of the season, MOT the Hoople has extended his lead to five points, with both Gooner71 and Swansong dropping three points by choosing Derby and Boro for promotion. Still, all to play in those last two matches.

Here are current standings:

1. MOT the Hoople - 37 points
2. Gooner71 - 32 pts
-   Swansong - 32 pts
4. What's Up Wheaton Simon - 29 pts
5. Man Utd Rules - 27 pts
-   Someone Said - 27 pts
7. The Saint - 26 pts
8. West Ham Rising - 24 pts
-   United We Stand - 24 pts
10. Red Devil 1FCK - 22 pts
11. Red Dragon - 21 pts
12. Blue Devil - 18 pts
13. Yellows - 17 pts

Southgate Picks His Squad!

England boss Gareth Southgate announced his 23-man squad this morning. The headline is that uncapped 19 year Liverpool fullback Trent Alexander-Arnold has been included in the squad and that West Ham keeper Joe Hart has missed out on the trip. In other news, Gary Cahill has been recalled.

Here is the squad in full:

Goalkeepers: Jack Butland (Stoke), Jordan Pickford (Everton, Nick Pope (Burnley).

Defenders: Trent Alexander-Arnold (Liverpool, Gary Cahill (Chelsea), Fabian Delph (Man City), Phil Jones (Man Utd), Harry Maguire (Leicester), Danny Rose (Spurs), John Stones (Man City), Kieran Trippier (Spurs), Kyle Walker (Man City), Ashley Young (Man Utd).

Midfielders: Dele Alli (Spurs), Eric Dier (Spurs), Jordan Henderson (Liverpool), Jesse Lingard (Man Utd), Ruben Loftus-Cheek (Chelsea).

Forwards: Harry Kane (Spurs), Marcus Rashford (Man Utd), Raheem Sterling (Man City), Jamie Vardy (Leicester), Danny Welbeck (Arsenal).

Standby: Lewis Cook (Bournemouth), Tom Heaton (Burnley), Adam Lallana (Liverpool), Jake Livermore (West Brom), James Tarkowski (Burnley).

Your thoughts, gents?

Championship Playoff Update

Just a quick check-in on the status of the Championship playoffs. I have to admit that I slept on the first leg matches during an especially busy workweek last week. Not so this week, where we've got Final Exams going on here in Fred-town. After all, there are four priceless PPP points on the line, depending on the outcome of the events.

Going into the second legs, which begin today with Derby County's visit to Craven Cottage. Derby are 1-0 up from the first leg last week. Tomorrow afternoon sees Villa taking an 0-1 away win from their match at Middlesboro to Villa Park. So, both matches are up for grabs.

Here are the stakes for us in the PPP:

Gooner71 and Simon have tipped Derby for promotion

MUR and Someone Said have tipped Villa for promotion

West Ham Rising has tipped Fulham for promotion

MOT the Hoople has tipped both Derby and Villa for promotion

The Saint, Swansong and Yellows have tipped both Boro and Villa for promotion

UWS has tipped both Fulham and Villa for promotion

The playoff matches are sadly only on the new ESPN+ streaming service, so I'll be following along on the Guardian blog.

The End of the Premiership Road

Sadly, it's the end of the domestic season today. As per modern tradition, all of the final Day 38 Premiership fixtures will be played at 3pm GMT (10am EST) in order to prevent the deadly Anschluss football. After today, all there will be to shout about from your settee will be the Championship playoffs, the FA Cup Final next weekend and the Champions League and Europa League finals the following week. Fortunately, the World Cup is only a month away. So, let's enjoy it for now. We'll have a few dry weeks to come.

Premiership Plus Predictions Game - Week 37 Update

Hiya, chaps - another busy week has spun by in a whirlwind and I'm finally getting a chance to update our PPP game. We finally had some significant changes to the table this week. With Liverpool and Spurs exchanging 2nd and 3rd spot, some of us lost one or gained one point in that category. More importantly, with Southampton winning a third match on the trot and defeating Swansea in the relegation dogfight match on Tuesday afternoon, the Swans are almost certain for the drop now. That means three or four additional points on many accounts.

It all means that the race at the top has tightened to two points between MOT the Hoople at the top (37 points) and Gooner71 and Swansong tied for second (35 points). It seems that it will all come down to the FA Cup Final next Saturday (5/19) and the Champions League Final the following Saturday (5/26). MOT is riding high but as he chose Man City and Arsenal for the Cup and Bayern to win the CL, he doesn't have much of a chance to add to his points. Meanwhile, Swansong has chosen United to win and Chelsea to lose the FA Cup Final. And Gooner has chosen Chelsea to lose the FA Cup Final and Real Madrid to win the CL Final. So, MOT the Hoople will be hoping that Chelsea win the Cup and Liverpool win the Champions League in the coming weeks. Otherwise the Shield will either be winging its way off to either Alexandria, VA. or Hamburg, NY.

Here are the current standings:

1. MOT the Hoople - 37 points
2. Gooner71 - 35 pts
-   Swansong - 35 pts
4. What's Up Wheaton Simon - 33 pts
5. The Saint - 29 pts
6. Man Utd Rules - 27 pts
-   Someone Said - 27 pts
8. West Ham Rising - 24 pts
9. United We Stand - 23 pts
10. Red Devil 1FCK - 22 pts
11. Red Dragon - 21 pts
12. Yellows - 20 pts
13. Blue Devil - 18 pts

Rooney to DC United?

The sports boffins all over the Internet were atwitter today about rumors and one Wayne Rooney is reportedly in serious talks with DC United to make a sensational move to the MLS this summer. And why not? He's not really up to the pace of the Premiership at this point. But, is he a good fit for MLS? And where the hell is Wazza going to find a decent Lob Scouse in DC?

Your thoughts, gents?

The Long and Winding Championship Road Ends

The Championship season comes to an end this morning. It's been a disappointing one for my beloved Leeds United, after an opening that had so much promise. We'll end up in mid-table with a lot of open questions about our future going into the summer months. Likewise, QPR will finish outside the playoffs - they're our visitors today for the final match at Elland Road.

After the Championship fixtures, we also have Man City v. Huddersfield and Chelsea v. Liverpool to enjoy. Join me for all the fun this morning, won't you?

Relegation Dogfight Saturday

Morning, chaps. It's a do or die Saturday for several sides. While the top of the table has been settled, the relegation battle is well and truly on. We start with Stoke v. Palace, a must-win for the Potters. Then at 10am, it's Bournemouth v. Swansea and Leicester v. West Ham, with both away sides still in trouble. If Stoke were to win this morning, it would put a great deal of pressure on the Swans and Hammers. And then we end with Everton v. Southampton. Same story there - the Saints must win.

I had an especially grueling week, so I'm going to grab some extra kip and join you for the 10am matches. Enjoy!

Seagulls VS United in the Final Friday Night Prem Match of the Season

 The most publicized sport event of the day may be the Kentucky Derby, but there's also the small matter of a Premier league match today : The Seagulls vs United. Other than the 1983 Cup Final replay, matches between these two have been historically close. It should be the same today at the AMEX. Join me for the final Friday night Prem match of the season.

Premiership Plus Predictions Game - Week 36 Update

Happy Friday, chaps! My apologies for being so late this week with the update; it's been a monstrously busy workweek. That said, it also gave me the time to take into consideration the mid-week European action, which is about all that changed over the past week. So, we now know the finalists for both big European finals - it's Real v. Liverpool in the Champions League and Atletico v. Salzburg in the Europa League. Condolences to Gooner, Simon and all of us who had points in the game for a Europa League final win for the Gunners. Sadly, Wenger won't get that glorious send off. All this means that none of us has a dog in the hunt in the Europa League and only those who tipped Real for the Champions League win (Gooner, Red Devil, Red Dragon, The Saint, UWS, and Simon) have a chance at the 6 points for that category.

Otherwise, here are the current standings, as we inch closer to the finish line:

1. MOT the Hoople - 39 points
2. Swansong - 36 pts
3. Gooner71 - 31 pts
4. What's Up Wheaton Simon - 30 pts
5. Man Utd Rules - 26 pts
6. Yellows - 25 pts
7. The Saint - 24 pts
-  Someone Said - 21 pts
9. West Ham Rising - 19 pts
10. Blue Devil - 18 pts
-  United We Stand - 18 pts
12. Red Devil 1FCK - 17 pts
13. Red Dragon - 16 pts